Tag: football

  • Shakira discovered husband Gerard Pique was cheating after finding empty jam jar

    Spanish singer Shakira and her husband Gerard Pique are parting ways after the former football player’s infidelity came to light.
    According to Page Six, the ‘She Wolf’ singer had discovered Pique’s infidelity after discovering an empty strawberry jam jar in her fridge, even though her children and her ex-husband hate jam.

    Shakira had also released a track ‘BZRP Music Sessions #53’ which many fans interpretated as a diss track to Pique as it had several lines where the singer called out her ex-husband for cheating on her with a younger woman, and trying to destroy her self worth.

    The ‘Hip’s Don’t Lie’ singer also went viral a few days ago for setting up a witch mannequin facing her ex mother-in-law’s house, while playing ‘Bizarrap sessions’ on loud volume.

  • Amusment park shut down for two hours for Cristiano Ronaldo, family by Saudi officials

    Amusment park shut down for two hours for Cristiano Ronaldo, family by Saudi officials

    Portugese born football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has moved to Saudi Arabia with his family to join the Al-Nasr football club. Details about his deal have revealed that Ronaldo’s two year contract will earn him over $200 million a year, making him the world’s highest paid soccer player.
    During his stay in Riyadh, the football player and his family have been treated with immense respect and hospitality by the Saudi people. Recently, report emerged that Saudi officials shut down an amusement park for over two hours, in order for Ronaldo and his family to enjoy a day out there.
    Ronaldi’s partner, Gina Rodriguez, shared pictures of their outing on her Instagram page.

  • US Open Cup bans Salt Bae for his annoying FIFA World Cup 2022 antics and breaking rules

    US Open Cup bans Salt Bae for his annoying FIFA World Cup 2022 antics and breaking rules

    Turkish chef Nusr-et Gokce, better known as ‘Salt Bae’, has been banned from the US Open Cup final after his antics at FIFA World Cup celebrations angered football fans across the globe.

    Founded in 1914, US Open Cup is the oldest and most prestigious soccer tournament in America.

    The development has been confirmed on the official Twitter handle of the US open cup.

    For some reason, he was allowed onto the field with the players in the immediate aftermath of Argentina’s victory over France. He was seen with the trophy, which he even slapped and did his little “salt and pepper” trick on as well.

    Lionel Messi was witnessed being approached by the owner of the steakhouse, who seemed irritated when Salt Bae grabbed his arm and dragged him off for a photo. The Turkish chef has received strong criticism as a consequence, especially from former Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster.

    “Its current design dates back to 1974,” FIFA’s website reads. “As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the original FIFA World Cup Trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and heads of state.”

    An internal investigation is being conducted to find out how the chef was authorized to be so near to the players. It is unclear how Salt Bae was permitted on the field. Additionally, he violated World Cup rules by holding the trophy.

  • The significance behind the black cape Lionel Messi wore at the FIFA world cup ceremony

    The significance behind the black cape Lionel Messi wore at the FIFA world cup ceremony

    The most significant part of the FIFA world cup ceremony was when Messi had been invited to the stage to receive the trophy, the King of Qatar had given him a black cape to wear before he lifted up the world cup to celebrate with his team members.

    Since yesterday social media users, mostly people in the West, were mostly expressing disappointment about Messi’s pictures being ruined by a black cape and even saying that it had ruined a significant moment for the football player. Many Arab critics and journalists were quick to highlight the racism in the media coverage of the West, and its overt disregard for Eastern culture and tradition.

    As Eastern journalists and critics had shared, every time the FIFA world cup would take place in different countries, the winner would be crowned according to the traditions of the host. For instance in 2004 when the Olympics were hosted in Athens, the winners were crowned with an olive wreathe. But the negative coverage over Messi wearing the bisht is proof of how racism in the Western media will remain an unresolved issue

    The black cape that Messi had worn on the final ceremony is called the bisht and historically, it holds a lot of significance within Arabic culture. The bisht is worn by Arabian warriors after a victory. At the ceremony, when the King of Qatar had given Messi the cloak, it was giving someone the highest form of respect and signified him as the King of Football.

  • Iranian footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani sentenced to death for supporting women’s rights and ‘basic freedom’

    Iranian footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani sentenced to death for supporting women’s rights and ‘basic freedom’

    Iranian footballer Amir Reza Nasr Azadani has been sentenced to death after he was arrested last month for participating in worldwide protests against the country’s clerical establishment.

    Azadani was arrested in connection to the deaths of three security personnel during protests in Isfahan and accused of waging war against God, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

    The 26-year-old Iranian league footballer is among at least 27 other Iranians facing death sentences in connection to the protests that have engulfed the country for almost three months.

    Two of those men — Majidreza Rahnavard and Mohsen Shekari, both 23 years old — were publicly hanged this month.

    The world union of professional footballers, FIFPRO, said it was “shocked and sickened” by Azadani’s sentencing “after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country.”

    “We stand in solidarity with Amir and call for the immediate removal of his punishment,” the organisation wrote on Twitter.

    Prominent current and former footballers expressed solidarity and called for executions to end.

    Former Iranian international star Ali Karimi and Iran’s World Cup team goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand used their social media platforms to call for the sentence to be revoked and an end to executions.

    Asadollah Jafari, the judiciary chief of Isfahan, was quoted by local media as saying that Mr Azadani was a member of an “armed group that operated in a networked and organised manner with the intent of fighting the basis of the Islamic Republic establishment.”

  • Croatian-born YouTuber finds Muslim shower the ‘best thing ever’ during his stay in Qatar for FIFA World Cup

    Croatian-born YouTuber finds Muslim shower the ‘best thing ever’ during his stay in Qatar for FIFA World Cup

    Croatian-born YouTuber David Vujanić, who is in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022, tried using a Muslim shower during his stay and praises it as “the best thing ever” he has ever used.

    Vujanić took to Twitter to describe the convenience of the Muslim showers he was using in Qatar and expressed disappointment that the British restrooms do not have these showers.

    “Lmao people were beefing over toilet paper during the pandemic when they could have just installed a bum shower,” Vujanić wrote.

    In another tweet, the football fan said, “I want this image printed on a T-shirt… I am now the self-proclaimed founder of the Shatafa Ultras group… “Bum Shower Fanatics, Let’s Go!”

    Vujanić, a devoted Liverpool FC fan, currently resides in London.

    On November 23, 2010, Vujani created his first YouTube channel. He posts a variety of videos, such as mock music videos and vlogs on football.

    The song parody “EASTERN EUROPE STYLE! (PSY GANGNAM STYLE PARODY) by BRICKA BRICKA!” is his most popular video.

    He formerly had a job with the football-focused channel Copa90. He also co-owns a YouTube channel called Poet & Vuj with his close friend and coworker Poet, where they post a series called “Comments Under,” in which they converse in public regarding football-related news and subjects.

  • Lahore police arrests three people involved in online gambling

    Lahore police arrests three people involved in online gambling

    Lahore police arrested three people for engaging in online (digital) gambling and recovered Rs1 lakh cash and three cell phones from their possession.

    According to The News, the accused were named as Shoaib, Salim, and the ringleader, Faizan.

    The accused Faizan developed the betting app, in which more than 100 people were involved. The accused used to bet on all sporting events, including football, hockey, tennis, and cricket, through the app.

    Besides this, there are still a number of gambling applications available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that anybody can download and use for betting purposes.

    Numerous websites provide advice on how to gamble, such as by changing a few personal details or signing up to bet using a random name.

  • Pakistani journalist goes viral explaining why we shouldn’t feel sorry for Germany’s World Cup exit

    Pakistani journalist goes viral explaining why we shouldn’t feel sorry for Germany’s World Cup exit

    Germany kicked out of the World Cup in the group stages for the second successive tournament, they’re missing a standout goalscorer and they’re very much a side in transition.

    However, according to Pakistani journalist Ahmer Naqvi, we absolutely should not be feeling sorry for them.

    After analysing Germany’s recent elimination from the competition in great detail, Naqvi gained widespread attention.

    The German team is the “angel of death” of football, according to Naqvi, as they have crushed more nation’s World Cup hopes than any other team.

    He begins by outlining all the great footballing nations that were eliminated from the World Cup after falling to Germany by saying, “I’ll take us back in history a bit, right.”

    He starts off with the great Hungary side of 1954 alongside Ferenc Puskas. They were defeated by West Germany despite being “one of the finest sides of all time.”

    The journalist then discussed Johan Cruyff’s legendary 1974 Netherlands team, which is renowned for introducing the idea of complete football. They were eliminated once more by West Germany.

    He continued by talking about France’s “golden square” team from 1982, which was defeated by Germany in the semi-final and was famed for playing with four in midfield. Germany and Austria also made sure Algeria was eliminated from the same event, ending the first-ever opportunity for an African team to go to the next round.

    He also mentioned West Germany’s victories over Diego Maradona’s Argentina in 1990, the demise of South Korea in 2002, the defeat of England’s “golden generation” in 2010, and their resounding 7-1 victory over Brazil in 2014.

    “Don’t have any sympathy for this team… If football was a video game, [Germany] would be the final boss… I will bring out the world’s smallest violin,” he adds.

    The clip went down a storm with social media users, with one commenting: “I couldn’t give a monkeys about football but this is absolute solid gold entertainment and storytelling.”

    Here are a few more reactions:

  • Pakistani workers earn only Rs160 per ball despite producing 70% of the world’s footballs

    Pakistani workers earn only Rs160 per ball despite producing 70% of the world’s footballs

    More than two-thirds of the world’s soccer balls are made in one of Sialkot’s 1,000 factories, including the Adidas Al Rihla, the official ball of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which begins this month.

    Approximately 60,000 people, or 8 per cent of the city’s population, work in the soccer ball manufacturing industry in Sialkot. They frequently put in long hours and sew the panels of the balls by hand.

    In Sialkot, hand stitching is used in more than 80 per cent of the soccer balls produced. This time-consuming method increases the soccer ball’s durability and aerodynamic stability. Compared to stitches made by machines, the seams are deeper and the tension is higher.

    Bloomberg reports that stitchers make about Rs160 ($0.75) each ball. It takes three hours to finish each one. A stitcher can make roughly Rs9,600 per month by stitching three balls per day. The earnings are modest, even for an impoverished area. According to researcher estimates, a living wage for Sialkot is close to Rs20,000 per month.

    Women make up the majority of those who sew the balls. They might sew two balls in a typical day, go home to prepare meals for their kids, and then go back to work in a nearby village in the late afternoon.

    Usually, men prepare supplies or do quality checks at various phases of the production process. The industries in Sialkot employed kids as young as 5 alongside their parents up until labour laws were passed in 1997. According to a 2016 assessment, the sector in Sialkot is threatened by the ban on child labour since it “took away a large slice of a prospective skilled generation,” creating a persistent worker shortage.

    About 40 million soccer balls are purchased annually worldwide, and sales are anticipated to increase during the World Cup.

  • FIFA World Cup 2022: Female fans banned from wearing revealing clothes, could face jail term in Qatar

    FIFA World Cup 2022: Female fans banned from wearing revealing clothes, could face jail term in Qatar

    The FIFA World Cup 2022 is approaching and fans cannot wait for the first match on November 20 between hosts Qatar and Equador, which will serve as the event’s catalyst. Even though the hosts have received criticism for hosting the competition for a variety of reasons, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the World Cup.

    The major football World Cup is being hosted for the first time by Qatar, but it won’t be the last as several countries in the Middle East are vying to host it following the 2022 edition.

    The number of fans arriving in Doha for the FIFA World Cup 2022 would be staggering since 32 countries will be competing.

    However, there is some unfavourable news for fans, particularly the female ones from the UK, USA, and other nations. The female fans must refrain from donning too-revealing attire. They should be aware of the regulations in Qatar, where wearing revealing clothing is prohibited. Although FIFA’s website states that fans can wear whatever they want, they must respect local laws and cover any exposed body parts.

    The World Cup website states: “People can generally wear their clothing of choice. Visitors are expected to cover their shoulders and knees when visiting public places like museums and other government buildings.” The Sun reported that women travelling in Qatar are banned from wearing tight clothes and flashing their cleavages. It is also important to note that if the fans remove their shirts due to excessive heat, they can be spotted by the special cameras installed in the stadiums. 

    Chief technology officer Niyas Abulrahiman said: “We have high-resolution special cameras to zoom in on a particular seat and clearly see the spectator. It’s being recorded, so that will help us in any post-event investigation.”

    Those who disregard the clothing code are promised severe punishment, and serious violations may even result in jail time, according to The Sun.

    As alcohol importation is prohibited, supporters should refrain from buying duty-free alcohol, according to Daily Mail.

    During the FIFA World Cup 2022, a “sin tax” has been imposed on all alcoholic beverage sales.

    Swearing, public displays of love, and alcohol use outside of fan zones are all punishable by fines and arrests.